Coast Capital sponsors youth engagement campaign that will reach 40 B.C. schools

Free The Children launches speaking tour thanks to $100,000 from Canada's second largest credit union

VANCOUVER, March 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Forty schools across B.C. will be hosting dynamic Free The Children youth outreach speakers this year in a Coast Capital Savings sponsored campaign aimed at getting young people engaged in active citizenship at both community and global levels.

Backed by a $100,000 contribution from Coast Capital Savings, Free The Children's signature We Schools in Action speaking tour will reach some 6,000 B.C. high school students this year. The program is aimed at "building a richer future for youth" and is focused on educating and empowering young people to take action on world and domestic causes.

Free the Children was founded in 1995 by leading Canadian child rights activist Craig Kielburger. It has since grown into the largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in domestic and international programming. James Lombardi, Director of Operations, Western Canada for Free the Children, said the We Schools in Action program heightens student engagement and ignites positive changes in student behaviour and subsequently within the communities.

"Launched by the energy and messages of We Day, the We Schools in Action program is a year-long campaign within participating schools that educates students on social issues and provides them with practical tools to become engaged citizens while developing their leadership skills," continues Lombardi. "Thanks to Coast Capital's support, we are able to bring this speaking tour to B.C. schools this year, helping to generate positive social change within the local communities."

Wendy Lachance, Director, Community Leadership for Coast Capital Savings, said the decision to support We Schools in Action was an easy one, due to its close fit with the credit union's community investment goals.

"Coast Capital Savings is committed to building a richer future for youth in our communities and one of the ways we do this is by investing in programs that inspire youth to become leaders and give back to their communities" Lachance said. "We are excited to partner with Free The Children through our support for We Schools in Action because the program provides an effective peer-to-peer model for engaging young people with speakers and stories that inspire change and action."

Nation-wide, We Schools in Action offers exciting opportunities for youth to get involved in their local and global communities through Free The Children campaigns and events. The program also offers free curriculum and year-long support to educators and youth by dedicated Youth Programming Coordinators. The program had a significant impact in B.C. last year.

• Youth across the province raised $1.6 million for local and global causes;
• A total of 532,353 volunteer hours was spent supporting local communities;
• 190,803 pounds of food was collected and donated to local food banks by youth and schools; and
• 26,813 students across B.C. went silent for 213,700 hours as part of Free The Children's Vow of Silence campaign, during which youth across Canada went silent in solidarity with their peers around the world who are silenced by poverty, disease and exploitation.

Below is information on the 2012 speaking tour launch event:

Media Advisory
Free The Children Coast Capital Supported B.C. Speaking Tour Kick-Off Event

Date: Wednesday March 28^th, 2012
Start time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Gymnasium, Riverside Secondary, Coquitlam
Event will include a welcoming from the school community and information from the students about how they have been impacted by We Schools in Action and inspired to take action both locally and globally. An inspiring speech by Free The Children Youth Programming Coordinator Alyssa Miller will follow, during which she will encourage youth to find and follow their passions.

About Free The Children
Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, we are a charity and educational partner that believes in a world where all young people are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. Our domestic programs educate, engage and empower hundreds of thousands of youth in North America, the UK and around the world. Our international projects have brought over 650 schools and school rooms to youth and provided clean water, health care and sanitation to one million people around the world.

Free The Children has a proven track record of success. The organization has received the World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child (also known as the Children's Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school boards and Oprah's Angel Network. For more information, visit: www.freethechildren.com

About Coast Capital Savings Credit Union
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union is Canada's second largest credit union with total assets under administration of $13.5 billion, 475,000 members and 51 branches in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia. Product innovations include Canada's first free chequing account from a full-service financial institution and the country's most flexible mortgage product, the You're the Boss™ Mortgage, which was named 2010 Mortgage of the Year by canadianmortgagetrends.com. Coast Capital offers one of Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™. It is a member of Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club and an Imagine Canada Caring Company. To learn more, visit www.coastcapitalsavings.com.

Stephanie Lanari, PR & Publicity Coordinator, Free The Children
Phone: [phone] x 827
E-mail: [email protected]

Divine Agodzo, Manager, Media Relations, Coast Capital Savings
Phone: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]